Our best-selling BrewBuilt kettles are now available with a welded whirlpool inlet!

Whirlpooling has become more and more popular among the homebrewing community, and with good reason. There are several distinct advantages that any brewer can gain by whirlpooling, including increased hop utilization, improved beer clarity, and faster chill times. Our whirlpool kettles place the coupler inlet 45° offset from the front of the kettle, and about 1/3 of the way up. This allows the kettles to be lined up on a brewstand without the valves interfering. The vertical placement allows for efficient whirlpooling, while still being low enough to allow for half batches and avoid splashing/hot-side-aeration. Although the whirlpool method can be applied by simply stirring your wort with a spoon or mash paddle, pairing a purpose-built whirlpool kettle with a brew pump will vastly increase efficiency and decrease the risk of contamination.

Whirlpool Hop Additions
The character imparted by late hop additions can be greatly improved when added during whirlpool. Below-boiling temperatures plus constant recirculation leads to extracting more flavor and aroma from the hops, while contributing far less bitterness than when added during the boil.

Reducing Trub in the Fermenter
When transferring from kettle to fermenter, you want to leave as much of the trub behind as possible. Clearer wort going into your fermenter means clearer beer when fermentation is complete. In large amounts, trub can also impart off-flavors to your finished beer. Creating a whirlpool will pull the suspended matter toward the center of the kettle and, when allowed to settle, form a cone of trub that's much easier to keep out of your fermenter during transfer. Less trub in the fermenter also allows more room for beer and blowoff, which is especially useful when fermenting high gravity beers.

Faster, More Efficient Chilling
If you're using an immersion chiller to cool your wort, whirlpooling can significantly reduce your chilling time. Using a whirlpool to create a rotating flow will assist the transfer of heat from the wort to the water running through the chiller, leading to a faster and more efficient cool down.

Designed for Brewing. Built to Last.
Our line of BrewBuilt brew kettles, made from 304 stainless steel, offer an unparalleled mix of features for a great price. At the very top of the list are three welded-in-place couplers that offer a lifetime of leak-free use. As you can imagine, welding in a coupler costs more than punching a hole and using a gasketed (i.e. weld-less) fitting. Welded fittings offer a permanent connection that, in our opinion, is worth every penny. The second unique feature that we absolutely love about these brew kettles is the notched lid with silicone plug. This notch allows you so much flexibility; you can use an immersion chiller, one of our Ultimate Sparge Arms for mashing, tie off hop bags, take a temp reading during cooling, or whatever else you can dream up.

This Brew Kettle has a lot to offer...
Some other features we dig include the internal volume markers from the bottom to the top - so handy for instant reads. The silicone sleeved handles on the kettle and the lid are a cool feature to protect your hands. The tri-clad bottom with a 4mm core of aluminum sandwiched between two layers of stainless steel offers even heat distribution during the boil and also makes it a perfect choice for anyone wanting to use an induction burner. The bottom coupler is also cool with 1/2" male threads on the outside and 1/2'' female threads on the inside. Those internal threads are so handy... you can easily install a pick-up tube, stainless quick disconnects, a kettle screen, or any other fitting that features 1/2" MPT threads.

Beefy 304 Stainless
These kettles are made from 304 grade stainless. That means you will have less corrosion issues than with a kettle made from lower grade 201 type stainless. We put these kettles through a corrosive salt water test in the MoreBeer! shop and they passed with flying colors. We also made sure the rivets and riveted handles were also made of stainless steel for a long term, trouble free life. The 10 and 15 gallon sizes are made from 1.0mm thick stainless steel. The 22, 31 and 50 gallon sizes are made with 1.2mm stainless - that's pretty thick stuff - and you will know it when you pick one up. The included ball valves are a two-piece design that allows for easy cleaning (we prefer these over 3-piece for ease of assembly) and is also made from 304 stainless.

Size Ratios and Stuff
Our whirlpool kettles place the coupler inlet 45° offset from the front of the kettle, and about 1/3 of the way up. This allows the kettles to be lined up on a brewstand without interference from the valves. The vertical placement allows for efficient whirlpooling, while still being low enough to allow for half batches and avoid splashing/hot-side-aeration. All BrewBuilt kettles follow the recent trend to a 1.2:1 ratio where the height is 1.2 times the diameter. This is a proven commercial ratio that has been adopted in homebrewing to achieve a more consistent 10% evaporation rate during the boil. We do like this ratio for boiling. For Mashing we would prefer a little bit shallower but that is a small compromise. Dimensions for a hot-liquor tank, if you are thinking brewing system down the road, are irrelevant as any ratio kettle will do.

Unique 22 Gallon Size
This size was born from customer feedback. Many customers making 10 gallons actually want to end up with 10 gallons at the end of kegging. That means you can be starting a boil with 13-14 gallons of wort to account for boil off, kettle loss, and fermenter loss. The 22 Gallon size kettle allows you to boil those quantities with plenty of room for boil overs. Want to make a 15 gallon batch with friends... you can squeeze that in to! You'll never regret having a little extra kettle.

Final Words
With welded fittings, a bunch of cool features, and a solid, thick 304 stainless steel core this kettle is a pretty amazing value. The welded coupler with whirlpool valve is a nice upgrade from the standard BrewBuilt Brewing Kettles. Simply pair one these whirlpool kettles with a brew pump and you'll be on your way! Be sure to see the "You Might Also Need" section below for quick disconnect fittings. Remember, if you order from MoreBeer! we ship free anywhere in the continental USA!

This is my second BB kettle and I am very happy with the quality of the welds and how sturdy it feels I use it as my HLT and the other for mashing with the false bottom that I purchased separately . I use the lid on a different kettle to boil because it is conveniently notched for my chill coil.